CBI/CIT

[tornado]

Here's what Porter Moser just said...
"Moser pointed to two significant events in the turnaround of the program....
- the arrival of Milton Doyle for the 2013-14 season
- and the team winning the CBI tournament in 2014-15
...The CBI is a postseason afterthought to many, but Moser had seen how SLU had benefited from it when they reached the finals.
Loyola went one step further. “They got a taste of it and we won it and I knew they wanted more,” he said."

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/loyola-seals-the-deal-with-missouri-valley-tournament-title/article_8cee4a02-9a44-5a66-abad-2758a618deb0.html

[ihatetea]

CBI/CIT

Pretty simple, do you want the team to play in the CBI or CIT. Comment your reasoning, or just vote.

[wily coyote]

Yes we should play at least for DT. I understand if we don't and it may be our, the fans fault. Let me explain, there are costs involved and you do get a return if the fans would should up. Even though we led the league in attendance, it may not have been enough to break even. Obviously the Civic Center gets paid and if we weren't drawing well enough to make money it makes no sense to spend money when it's tight. Just my opinion.

[tornado]

I wouldn't have a problem if we played these game at Renaissance Coliseum just for financial reasons as well as availability of the arena..
since the arena is Bradley's it would save possibly $50K just in costs...
(each of the next two weeks they have IHSA, then some concerts & Rivermen games)

[MDCowboy]

Totally agreed... let's play them at RenCol to save costs. We should play to get extra practice and game time for our young team. It also would be a great reward for Donte Thomas to get to play in a postseason tournament.

Again - the NIT was more open back in the 90's, before the change to allow the regular season champions from smaller leagues to get in if they are upset in their conference tournament.

I'm not saying to settle for or be happy with the CBI or CIT each year, but with a young team we can definitely benefit.

[battlebasset]

Totally agreed... let's play them at RenCol to save costs. We should play to get extra practice and game time for our young team. It also would be a great reward for Donte Thomas to get to play in a postseason tournament.

Again - the NIT was more open back in the 90's, before the change to allow the regular season champions from smaller leagues to get in if they are upset in their conference tournament.

I'm not saying to settle for or be happy with the CBI or CIT each year, but with a young team we can definitely benefit.

An added benefit of the RenCol is no slipping on the floor due to the ice underneath the hardwood....

[Vent]

If you??™re not good enough to play in NCAA or NIT, the season is over. Put effort and energy towards recruiting and next season. It cost quite a bit of money to enter these tournaments and the officiating is poor due to better officials working in NIT and NCAA. These tournaments consist of mediocre teams. We should not accept being in them.

[Da Coach]

If you??™re not good enough to play in NCAA or NIT, the season is over. Put effort and energy towards recruiting and next season. It cost quite a bit of money to enter these tournaments and the officiating is poor due to better officials working in NIT and NCAA. These tournaments consist of mediocre teams. We should not accept being in them.

That is a perfectly reasonable opinion if you look at playing in the postseason as only good for some kind of prestigious prize.
But the way I look at those tournaments is the same as I look at an early-season tournament. You wouldn't refuse to play in a tournament like the Islands of the Bahamas tournament or the Gulf Coast Showcase because most of the teams weren't top 25 teams, would you? Those were the November tournaments we played in the last 2 years, and IMO they helped improve and develop our team.
If you look at the CBI or CIT as simply a competitive tournament to give your players a chance to play more games, the team a chance to get more practices, and the fans to watch more games, then I believe it can be justified. Sure, purists will turn their noses up at playing in any tournament other than the NCAA (even the NIT is a losers' tournament and not much better than the CBI or CIT). But the majority of fans at schools like Bradley like them. The biggest reason is the opportunity to benefit your program, and I think they can do that. There are many examples like Loyola where their participation helped improve their teams.

As for the officiating, would you rather have the prima donnas like John Higgins and Gerry Pollard? I don't recall any problems with officials in any of the smaller tournaments we have played in, nor in the CBI or CIT when we played in them.

And if not for Bradley participating in the CBI, we would never have had this-




Another view-

[tornado]

Gregg Marshall likewise credits his runs in the 2009 CBI and the 2011 NIT as big steps in getting his teams ready for their deep NCAA runs in 2012, 2013, 2014 and beyond..

[ollienanyes]

yes but...

My yes is for selfish reasons: I want more BU basketball. But I trust that those running the program will make a better decision (either pro or con) for better reasons.

[Dub]

That is a perfectly reasonable opinion if you look at playing in the postseason as only good for some kind of prestigious prize.
But the way I look at those tournaments is the same as I look at an early-season tournament. You wouldn't refuse to play in a tournament like the Islands of the Bahamas tournament or the Gulf Coast Showcase because most of the teams weren't top 25 teams, would you? Those were the November tournaments we played in the last 2 years, and IMO they helped improve and develop our team.
If you look at the CBI or CIT as simply a competitive tournament to give your players a chance to play more games, the team a chance to get more practices, and the fans to watch more games, then I believe it can be justified. Sure, purists will turn their noses up at playing in any tournament other than the NCAA (even the NIT is a losers' tournament and not much better than the CBI or CIT). But the majority of fans at schools like Bradley like them. The biggest reason is the opportunity to benefit your program, and I think they can do that. There are many examples like Loyola where their participation helped improve their teams.

As for the officiating, would you rather have the prima donnas like John Higgins and Gerry Pollard? I don't recall any problems with officials in any of the smaller tournaments we have played in, nor in the CBI or CIT when we played in them.

And if not for Bradley participating in the CBI, we would never have had this-




Another view-

After watching those clips, I would like to change my vote to yes.

[wizard1]

CBI/CIT

Coach.... Excellent post. I agree with you 100%. Playing in these tournaments adds to our rebuilding program....It helps our program, our players, and our fans, LET'S DO IT!
Wizard

[MDCowboy]

For those of you who say NCAA or NIT only, we cannot forget that a couple years back when the NIT changed to automatically accept conference regular season champions, they shrunk the pool of at-large NIT teams down anywhere from 4 to 8 teams. Most all of those small school leagues would not have had their regular season champion make the NIT before. Heck - the SWAC likely will have an under .500 team overall qualify for the NIT this year if they don't win the conference tournament. Those 4 to 8 bids going to low major teams are NOT coming at the expense of the Power 5 conferences. They all come at the expense of the upper class of mid-major programs like the MVC.

Making the NIT in the 90's was MUCH easier to do than it is today. You can look at the conference tournaments and watch all the bid stealing that will go on. That is why the CBI/CIT came into existence. Heck - in the early years of the CBI, you had teams like Wichita St., Pittsburgh, Oregon, Creighton, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Virginia (by the way - BU won games versus all 3 in the CBI).

Now I fully realize the Power 5 conferences told their teams to NOT play in these tourneys. But they did this knowing full well their teams had a great shot at the NIT. For the MVC to be the 8th best conference in the nation and likely there will be at MOST one MVC team making the NIT this year is just plain wrong. The BCS schools due to their conference schedules have much more chance to get in.

So I think we should play in the CBI or CIT. Note - I will NOT be happy if we continually keep playing in the CBI/CIT. When you have an upperclassmen led team it doesn't make as much sense. But this year makes a LOT of sense.

So anyone who looks down on the CBI/CIT, if the NIT would go back to NOT allowing conference regular season champs in, then I would be with you in not wanting to play in these. The cut line has been drawn and the MVC is just on the wrong side of it for now. Hopefully we go out and win one of these tourneys and use it as a springboard to future success and NCAA/NIT berths....

[bradleyfan124]

For those of you who say NCAA or NIT only, we cannot forget that a couple years back when the NIT changed to automatically accept conference regular season champions, they shrunk the pool of at-large NIT teams down anywhere from 4 to 8 teams. Most all of those small school leagues would not have had their regular season champion make the NIT before. Heck - the SWAC likely will have an under .500 team overall qualify for the NIT this year if they don't win the conference tournament. Those 4 to 8 bids going to low major teams are NOT coming at the expense of the Power 5 conferences. They all come at the expense of the upper class of mid-major programs like the MVC.

Making the NIT in the 90's was MUCH easier to do than it is today. You can look at the conference tournaments and watch all the bid stealing that will go on. That is why the CBI/CIT came into existence. Heck - in the early years of the CBI, you had teams like Wichita St., Pittsburgh, Oregon, Creighton, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Virginia (by the way - BU won games versus all 3 in the CBI).

Now I fully realize the Power 5 conferences told their teams to NOT play in these tourneys. But they did this knowing full well their teams had a great shot at the NIT. For the MVC to be the 8th best conference in the nation and likely there will be at MOST one MVC team making the NIT this year is just plain wrong. The BCS schools due to their conference schedules have much more chance to get in.

So I think we should play in the CBI or CIT. Note - I will NOT be happy if we continually keep playing in the CBI/CIT. When you have an upperclassmen led team it doesn't make as much sense. But this year makes a LOT of sense.

So anyone who looks down on the CBI/CIT, if the NIT would go back to NOT allowing conference regular season champs in, then I would be with you in not wanting to play in these. The cut line has been drawn and the MVC is just on the wrong side of it for now. Hopefully we go out and win one of these tourneys and use it as a springboard to future success and NCAA/NIT berths....

Oh Pardon me MdCowboy I need to correct you on something. It is not the " Power 5 conferences" It is the " Corrupt 5 conferences". After all they have the best teams money can buy

[Jim]

My yes is for selfish reasons: I want more BU basketball. But I trust that those running the program will make a better decision (either pro or con) for better reasons.

Bradley has shown very impressive improvement since Brian Wardle took over. I'm not ready for the season to be over!! I hope they play more games. Maybe the exposure will get some other recruits interested in attending Bradley. I also trust the coach will do what's best for his program.